Methods used for deep frying foods on an industrial scale, particularly snack foods such as potato chips, corn chips, tortilla chips, banana chips and other types of chips or pellets, include batch processing and continuous processing. A batch process, for example, to prepare potato chips involves cooking a batch of either washed or unwashed potato slices in a cooker containing a cooking medium, such as, hot oil, then removing the entire batch from the oil for further processing, such as de-oiling, seasoning and so forth. The cooking medium may be oil, lard or other conventional materials. For convenience, hereinafter, the cooking medium will be referred to as oil and the snack food as potato chips, but it is understood that any conventional cooking medium may be utilized and any type of cooked chip may be processed according to the invention.
Continuous processing, of potato chips, for example, usually involves conveying the potato slices through a cooker containing hot oil such that the length of time the potato slices are in the oil and the oil temperature are appropriate for the desired potato chip. There are several configurations of cookers, the most common one employing linear conveyors. In such a cooker, the slices are continuously placed in the oil at one end of the cooker and advanced under control through the cooker where potato chips are continuously withdrawn from the other end. In either batch or continuous processing, the oil may be heated, for example, by heaters directly submerged in the oil or by circulating the oil to an external heater and returning the heated oil into the cooker. It will be appreciated that other methods and means of heating may be utilized.
The following is a description, expressed in general terms, of several types of snack items which may be made utilizing the apparatus and teachings of the present invention. The following however is not exhaustive of the types of snack items which may be made in accordance with the invention since in many instances the properties of snack items are unique to the particular manufacturer. Thus, many other types of snack items may be made utilizing the apparatus and teachings of the invention, including chips referred to as "Hawaiian," kettle-cooked, kettle-fried, low-cal, "Deli-style," chocolate-coated, as well as numerous types of chips unique to geographic locales.
The following descriptions are expressed in general terms, since there is no standard definition or well-defined parameters for types of snack items. Thus, the following description is provided to apprise those utilizing the invention in general terms of some products to which the invention applies.